In Katie Uhlaender’s call with Joe Cecchini, he suggested his decision aimed to protect his team’s position: “I can just eliminate any possibilities here [laughing]… it’s a tactic that we want to employ.” @thetimes.com @mattlawtontimes.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/winter...

“Uhlaender claimed in her interview with DW that Cecchini told her [his plan was to] "eliminate any possibilities" that veteran Canadian sledder Jane Channell could… miss out on the 2026 Winter Olympics.” @peoplemag.bsky.social people.com/us-skeleton-...

"They (Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton) reduced the points of the race intentionally. A lot of athletes were depending on this race to collect points and prepare for Olympic selections on January 18." @cnn.com @donriddellcnn.bsky.social edition.cnn.com/2026/01/13/s...

What began as a North American Cup race in Lake Placid has now become an internationally reported issue, with numerous major news outlets covering a developing Olympic skeleton qualification controversy involving the USA and Canada. www.dw.com/en/cheating-...

“At a time of high political tension, […the head of Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton] withdrew 4 of his 6 athletes from an event… reducing the size of the field & therefore the number of Olympic qualification points available” @mattlawtontimes.bsky.social @thetimes.com www.thetimes.com/article/1a3d...

“What is happening in the UK is a direct violation of athletes’ fundamental right to compete and a stark example of the deeply regressive governance practices plaguing sport today.” Open letter to World Katate reported by Sportsin_biz sportsin.biz/global-athle...

Global Athlete has issued an open letter urging the World Karate Federation to intervene as UK Karate athletes are being barred from competition unless they endorse a new federation, violating their fundamental right to compete. Read all via: bit.ly/olwk18

Athletes are calling for reforms to ensure selection is based on merit, not politics or bias. Transparent and consistent processes are vital to protecting athletes and maintaining trust in the Olympic Movement. @iocmedia Full athletes' letter to the IOC bit.ly/ioc128

"While the IOC has developed clear eligibility & qualification criteria intended to ensure fairness & universality, these are often disregarded or manipulated by NOCs &/or NFs who favour subjective, non-transparent processes" Open letter to the IOC Read all bit.ly/ioc128

60+ international athletes have issued an open letter urging the IOC to enforce fair, transparent, and accountable Olympic selection processes. Athletes deserve clarity, consistency, and a system that upholds the values of sport. Read below or bit.ly/ioc128

“it appears this investigation's intent is to intimidate and suppress whistleblowers. [If...] accurate, WADA is not defending clean sport but is continuing to defend a cover-up.” Congress letter to WADA @apnews.com @espn.com www.espn.com/olympics/sto...

LOOKING TO 2026 ➡️ 🗣️ Athletes deserve not only a platform but meaningful and legal power. This will only be possible if collective bargaining rights for Olympic and international athletes are embedded in the Olympic Movement. @FairSportOrg Support: buff.ly/I5ph501

YEAR IN REVIEW 🗓️ 🤺 440+ fencers: Open letter urging the FIE to restore independent checks for Russian/Belarusian AIN applicants. ™️ Paralympic sponsors: Campaign to spotlight contradictions of IPC sponsors amid Russia’s ongoing aggression. More of 2025: bit.ly/gafs25

2025 REVIEW 🗓️ OLYMPIC MOVEMENT: We sent a letter to the new IOC President, Kirsty Conventy, focused on: ⚖️ Collective bargaining & fair compensation 📷 Reforming Rule 40 🗣️ Abolishing Rule 50 📝 Independent athlete rep. 🥇 Overhaul global anti-doping governance More of 2025: bit.ly/gafs25

YEAR IN REVIEW 🗓️ 🇨🇦 CANADA: We provided a formal submission to the Future of Sport in Canada Commission outlining a bold vision to radically reconstruct the Canadian sports system. ⚖️ ANTI-DOPING: We worked closely with athletes demanding wholesale reform at WADA bit.ly/gafs25

Former national team athletes suing Water Polo Canada for $5.5M alleging years of abuse, harassment & toxic culture between 2004–2016. They claim coaches used threats, humiliation & tolerated sexual/homophobic misconduct @kevenbreton.bsky.social ici.radio-canada.ca/sports/22089...

2025 Wrap-Up! Our team at Global Athlete and FairSport extend our gratitude to all the athletes, advocates and allies who have driven our athletes’ first movement forward this year. 🔗 End of Year Message www.globalathlete.org/our-word/202...

@sammobile.com you suspended shipments to Russia. Yet your IPC sponsorship helps reboot Russia & Belarus back on the world stage. @paralympics.org

📢 Allianz you pledged support for Ukrainian refugees. But standing with an International Paralympic Committee that reinstates Russia & Belarus risks insuring impunity instead of justice. @paralympics.org

The decision by the International Paralympic Committee to lift the ban on Russia and Belarus has handed Vladimir Putin an unprecedented propaganda opportunity at Milan Cortina 2026 and @la28games.bsky.social. Analysis in this *free to read* edition of the #ZeusFiles open.substack.com/pub/duncanma...

📢 @omegawatches.bsky.social you paused shipments to Russia. Yet your support for the International Paralympic Committee, that is welcoming Russia and Belarus, turns back time on accountability. @paralympics.org #StandWithUkraine

Coca-Cola said no more Coke in Russia, but by backing an IPC that’s reserving Russia & Belarus, their sponsorship is refreshing Putin’s agenda. #standwithukraine

📢 AB InBev, you promised to leave Russia. 🍺 But sponsoring the International Paralympic Committee that readmits Russia & Belarus is still filling Putin’s glass. #standwithukraine @paralympics.org

Global Athlete and FairSport have worked in partnership since 2019 to challenge abuse, demand integrity & defend athlete rights. 📖Today, we release Five Years of Partnership: a chronicle of our relentless pursuit for an athlete-centred sporting world. bit.ly/fyps19

The @paralympics.org have reinstated Russia and Belarus, choosing to favor aggressors over the athletes they serve. Our statement below ⬇️

We join our colleagues at the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation in calling for immediate action on the disappearance of human rights and athlete safety advocate Anatol Kotau who is currently listed on Russian & Belarusian wanted registers. bit.ly/bmak8

Over 440 international fencers from 40 countries call on the FIE to reverse its decision to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes and resume thorough checks of athletes applying for AIN status. Full Letter: bit.ly/fie25440

The FIE has ended independent checks of neutral athletes and instead requesting these Russian and Belarusian athletes to sign an oath that they support peace and do not support Russia’s war in Ukraine. www.thesportsexaminer.com/fencing-inte...

LET’S MOVE? Let’s move forward on athletes’ rights. On the eve of new presidential era for the Olympics, we’re looking forward to seeing the evolution of human rights for athletes: compensation, protection, and freedom of association and expression. #letsmove #olympicday

And now it’s time for the Olympics to follow suit.

“The House settlement will pay…a whopping $2.8 billion in backpay from (NIL) compensation. Even more groundbreaking, the settlement paves the way for schools, for the first time ever, to directly compensate athletes” @rossdellenger.bsky.social @ncaa.bsky.social

“A federal judge has ruled that the men’s professional tennis tour cannot retaliate against players who join an ongoing lawsuit against it, nor against players who consider joining the lawsuit.” @mattfutterman.bsky.social @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/athletic/634...

"It is also extremely disappointing Sport Integrity Australia has remained silent throughout this process when 25 Australian swimmers have been directly impacted due to the lack of due process" @robkoehler.bsky.social @couriermail.bsky.social couriermail.com.au/sport/austra...

"while the global regulator & World Aquatics may have hoped this issue would vanish... the continued attention, questions & concerns from the sporting world highlight the severity of the breach of rules" @robkoehler.bsky.social @couriermail.bsky.social couriermail.com.au/sport/doping...

“Members of Congress are pushing for a showdown with the World Anti-Doping Agency… (they) say WADA must choose: commit to greater transparency or say goodbye to U.S. dues payments.” @tjquinn.bsky.social @mikerothstein.bsky.social @espntr.bsky.social www.espn.com/olympics/sto...

🚨”Following years of good-faith efforts to reform professional tennis, the PTPA has taken decisive legal action…The lawsuits expose systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and a blatant disregard for player welfare that have persisted for decades.” PTPA 1/11 www.ptpaplayers.com/legal-action...

At the WADA symposium in Lausanne (where we are currently) filming is massively restricted by WADA media. We are only allowed to shoot at a very few presentations. But anyway… (1)

“The @wada_ama demanded that journalists sign gag contracts restricting reporting. Now, under pressure, it is backpedalling – as the under-fire body continues to face pressure.” @sportschau Von Hajo Seppelt, Nick Butler & Jörg Winterfeldt www.sportschau.de/journalist-o...

“For the WADA symposium in Lausanne next week, strict limits are being set for the (few) journalists… (plus) social media posts that displease the WADA saints will be punished with the withdrawal of accreditation” @jensweinreich.bsky.social www.the-inquisitor-magazine.com/r/c1704980?m...

Investigative journalist Jen Weinreich on why some of those who will vote in the IOC presidential elections feel this is no time in world politics to put former swimmer Kirsty Coventry on the throne state-of-swimming.ghost.io/why-some-thi...

Since our formation in 2019, the athlete voice has guided how we work to serve athletes’ interests & help them gain a more represented voice in world sport. Whether through assistance, advocacy or activism, athletes are the guiding force of our work. 🔗 www.globalathlete.org/what-we-do

🤝 Our Mission 🤝 We strive to address the imbalance of power between athletes and administrators by working together with athletes and athlete groups to drive change in world sport and seek justice, remedy and reform. Learn more via www.globalathlete.org/what-we-do

“WADA is drafting changes to its code that would allow for lesser penalties in similar instances of unintentional doping” @mattfutterman.bsky.social ➡️ proposed changes would not take effect until 2027, so for now questions remain on how similar cases will be handled www.nytimes.com/athletic/614...

@deloittedigi.bsky.social it’s time to align with athletes. Deloitte, while you support freedom of association for your employees, the IOC, to which you pay millions, restricts & controls the athlete voice through the guise of its Athlete Commission. 🔗 read more bit.ly/awagaoc

🤝 Align with Athletes 🤝 While Olympic sponsors champion human rights such as fair wages & collective bargaining in their companies, the IOC to which they fund millions, restricts these rights for athletes. It’s time for sponsors to align with athletes & demand change. Read more bit.ly/awagaoc

2024 wrapped up! It's been an important and challenging year from anti-doping scandals, match-fixing schemes and the ongoing demands for athletes' rights and athletes' voices to be heard and upheld. Read all via globalathlete.org/our-word/2024-…

“The decision by the agency’s leaders to keep its own investigators in the dark raises new questions about WADA’s response to repeated incidents of possible doping by Chinese athletes” @nytimes.com @tariqpanja.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/u...